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When and how do I renew my US green card, and am I still a resident if it expires?

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File Form I-90 when your green card has expired or will expire within six months. USCIS fees are $465 on paper and $415 online. Your receipt notice, shown with the expired card, proves your permanent resident status for 36 months after the card's expiry date. Conditional residents file Form I-751 instead, not I-90.

Key facts

What USCIS says Source
When to renew When your card has expired or will expire within the next six months USCIS, Replace Your Green Card
Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, online or by mail USCIS I-90 page
Fee $465 on paper, $415 online USCIS Form G-1055, edition 10/16/26, I-90
Proof while you wait The receipt notice plus the expired card proves status for 36 months from the card’s expiry date; you remain authorized to work and travel USCIS, Replace Your Green Card
Conditional (2-year) card Do not use I-90; file I-751 (marriage) or I-829 (investment) USCIS I-90 page
If you filed for citizenship The N-400 receipt notice extends your green card for 2 years from its expiry date USCIS N-400 page, Special Instructions
Carrying the card You must have a valid, unexpired green card or equivalent documentation with you at all times USCIS I-90 page

When you must renew

USCIS guidance says a lawful permanent resident must replace the green card if it has expired or will expire within the next six months. Other reasons to file Form I-90 include a lost, stolen or damaged card, wrong information on the card, a legal name change, and reaching age 14 with a card issued earlier (unless it expires before your 16th birthday).

The USCIS I-90 page says that as a permanent resident you must have a valid, unexpired green card or equivalent documentation with you at all times, and applying for naturalization does not change this.

An expired card does not end your status

The card is proof of status. USCIS says that when you file to renew, your I-90 receipt notice, presented with your expired card, is evidence of your permanent resident status for 36 months from the card’s expiration date, and you remain authorized to work and travel. If you no longer have the card, USCIS may issue an ADIT stamp as temporary evidence.

If you have filed Form N-400 for citizenship, the USCIS N-400 page says the N-400 receipt notice automatically extends your green card for two years from the “Card Expires” date. If you lose the card or that notice, you generally must still file Form I-90.

If you are abroad

USCIS says that if you are outside the US, your card will expire within six months, and you will return within one year of leaving and before the card expires, you should file Form I-90 as soon as you are back.

Fee and filing

The USCIS fee schedule (edition of 16 October 2026) sets the I-90 fee at $465 for a paper filing and $415 online. You can file online through a USCIS account or by mail.

Conditional residents

A two-year conditional green card is not renewed with Form I-90. USCIS says conditional residents file Form I-751 to remove conditions on a marriage-based card, or Form I-829 for an investment-based card.

If USCIS refuses

USCIS says you cannot appeal an I-90 denial, but you can file a motion to reopen (with new facts and evidence) or a motion to reconsider (showing USCIS applied the law or policy incorrectly) with the office that decided.

Sources

  1. USCIS: Replace Your Green Card checked 2026-10-25
  2. USCIS: I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) checked 2026-10-25
  3. USCIS: Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, edition 10/16/26 (I-90 row) checked 2026-10-25
  4. USCIS: N-400, Application for Naturalization (Special Instructions: Lost or Expiring Permanent Resident Card) checked 2026-10-25

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This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.